Becoming a Part of Lasting Change

Our blog series ventures to east Africa today as we visit Mozambique, a country where the life expectancy is just 41 years, and 1.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.

The infant mortality rate in Mozambique is one of the highest in the world. And for those children who live past infancy, the grim facts are that almost 15 percent die before they reach their first birthday, and 25 percent never reach age five. This high mortality rate is partially due to the lack of prenatal care for mothers and postnatal care for babies, including limited availability of immunizations.

Another cause of mortality in young children is malnutrition. At ChildFund, we strive to keep children fed, nourished and healthy by teaching their parents better farming practices and more effective ways to preserve food for lean times.

A boy in Mozambique shows off a car he likes to play with.

How can you help? For just $7, corn and bean seeds can provide nutritious and healthy meals for a family in Mozambique. For $64, a pair of goats gives a family a way to earn an income by producing more goats, as well as providing milk for children. And for the price of a couple of video games, a soccer team kit ($114) can provide many children in Mozambique hours and hours of playtime. You can find these items and more by clicking here and searching our Gifts of Hope and Love catalog.

More on MozambiquePopulation: 21.6 million
ChildFund beneficiaries: About 40,000 children and families
Did You Know?: Maria de Lurdes Mutola captured gold in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney — the first gold medal winner from Mozambique.